Fish screen or saver or trap.



A. A. CASWELL.

FISH SCREEN 0R SAVER 0R TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 191a.

. 1,115,893, Patented 0015.27, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

wif'naooao THE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. l

A. A. CASWELL.

FISH SCREEN OR SAVER 0R TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1913.

Patented 9613221914.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses HE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO |.ITHO.. WASHING roNv D. c.

nrrnn sTA'rEs PATENT onnron.

"Annnnw A. GASWELL, or LOS ANeELE's, CALIFORNIA.

FISH SCREEN OB. SAVER 0R TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedo h 2'7 1914.

Application filed October 9, 1913. Serial No; 794,246.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, ANDREW A. CAswnLL, citizenof the United. States, residing at 1004- WVest Eleventh street, LosAngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish Screens or Saversor Traps, of which the following is a specification.'

This invention relates to fish screens of that general class especiallydesigned for use in irrigating ditches, canals, fiumes and the like toprevent the fish from following the course of the stream and eventuallybecoming stranded upon the land and in the ditches.

The object of the invention is to provide a stationary screen which whenpositioned in the ditch, flume or other water course will afford aneffectual barrier to the passage of fish without liability of becomingclogged or otherwise obstructed by leaves, twigs and other floatingdebris.

A further object of the invention contemplates the provision of asupplemental or secondary troughinto which the fish are permitted toswim, the said trough serving as a trap for the fish, or if desiredpermitting them to again reenter the stream without injury. v

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency. 1

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings,described in the following specificationand then more particularlypointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part ofthis application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will. be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which 1 Figure1 is a vtop plan view,of my fish screen constructed in accordance withmy invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferredembodiment of my invention the numeral 1 designates the main water-wayor stream upon the bank of which the walls 2 of the irrigating ditch arepositioned, the latter being parallel and uniformly spaced apart asillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A flood gate 3 is positioned across the mouth of the irrigating ditch tocontrol the water supply thereto, a screen or barrier 4: being arrangedadjacent the gate 3 to prevent the entrance of twigs, leaves and otherfloating debris into the ditch, the said screen being preferablyconstructed by providing a plurality of uniformly spaced apart dependingteeth 5 disposed to extend entirely across the mouth of the ditch uponthe outside of the gate 3.

An inclined screen 6 is disposed to extend transversely of the ditch 2the said screen being supported by spaced apart beams 7, one of saidbeams being positioned at "the top of the ditch 2 and the other at apoint near the center thereof. Extending parallel with and adjacent thelower beams 7 is another transversely extending beam 8, which with athird inclined supporting beam 9 disposed upon the same plane forms asupport for a screen member 10 the latter being triangular in form as isillustrated to advantage in Fig. 1 of the drawings. One edge of thescreen member 10 extends transversely of the ditch 2 at an angle,thebeam 9 being positioned directly over a cross beam 11 disposedparallel therewith, the said two beams 9 and'll being connected andforming a support for an angularly disposed screen 12 against which thefish are directed should they enter the irrigating ditch.

. Within one of the sides 2 of the ditch and at the far end of theangular screen 12 I.

provide an opening 13, the said opening leading into the supplementaryor auxiliary ditch. or trough 12 formed at one side of the mainirrigating ditch 2 the latter serving as a trap or inclosure for thefish after passing through the opening 13 from the main ditch 2. A liftgate 14 is provided for the opening 18, the said gate being preferablydisposed at an inclination as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 topermit opening.

and closing of the gate as occasion demands, suitable means beingprovidedto facilitate theman ipulation of the gate when desired. Strips15 depend within the auxiliary ditch from one of the 1nain,,ditch sides2 thus forming a removable closure for the opening 13 the strips beingsupported to swing outwardly or away from the main ditch 2, therebypermitting the fish to enter-the auxiliary ditch 12 and when oncetherein to be entrapped, as the strips automatically close the saidopening and prevent a reentrance of the fish to the main ditch 2.

When it is desired that the fish should not be retained within theauxiliary ditch 12, an incline lift gate 16 is unfastened and permittedto rise and fall according to the rise and fall of the water within themain stream 1, as the said gate 16 is preferably constructed of buoyantmaterial so that one end thereof will always be supported level with thewater. The inner end of the gate l6'is pivoted to the base of theauxiliary trough 12 as at 17 to maintain the said gate at aninclination, which arrangement will permit the fish within the saidtrough or ditch to enter the main stream by swimming up and over thegate 16, at the same time effecting 'a barrier againstthe reentrance ofthe fish to the auxiliary ditch as the inclined surface of the gate ispresented only to the interior of the said ditch. A member 18 ishingedly secured as at 19'tothe under structed deeper than the main orirrigating ditch 2 to permit operation of the gate 16 in the mannerabove described.

From the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings itwill be seen that the screens 6, l0 and 12 form an effectual barrieragainst the entrance of fish into 1 the irrigatlng ditch 2 and serve asa guide; leading to the openlng 13 andinto the auxiliary ditch or trough12; that the strips 15 permit passage of the fish from the main to theauxiliary ditch yet prevent a return of the fish through the saidopening; and that the gate 16 is operated automatically by the rise andfall of the water within the stream. Strips of flexible material(leather for instance) as indicated at 15 may be provided to serve ashinges for the pendant strip 15. In reduction to practice, I have'foundthat the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referredto in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is

vthe most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditionsconcurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary,

I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details ofconstruction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to,when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of myinvention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A device for water ways including a transverse angularly disposedscreen, guide screens for dlrecting the fish within sald water wayagainst said first mentioned screen,

a trough, said trough being communicant with said water way by means ofan opening disposed adjacent the farend of the said first mentionedscreen, and means forming a barrier positioned over said'opening toprevent passage of fish from said troughto said water way, as and forthe purpose set forth. i v

2. A device of the character described including an inclinedtransversely extending screen, a second screen member extendingtransversely of the water-way and parallel with the sides thereof, asecond inclined screen. extending transversely of the water way, asupplemental trough disposed adjacent the said water-way, the saidtrough having an opening formed therein through atone side of said waterway, said trough being communicant with said water by means of anopening formed in one slde thereof, a screen memberpositloned w thin thesaid water way to direct the fish therein through the said opening, anda barrier p0- sitioned over the said opening topermit passage of fishfrom within the said water way to the said trough and preventing arepassage of the fish within the said trough to the said water way, asand for the purpose set forth.

. 4:- In a device for water ways, a trough communicant therewith, means"for direct ing the fish within said water way into said trough, meanspreventing the repassage of fish from said trough into said Water way,and means including a lift-gate pivoted within said trough,the' free endof said gate being supported by the water therein, as and forthepurposeset forth.

5. In a device for water ways, a trough communicant therewith, meansincluding a screen for directing the fish within said water way intosaid trough, means includinga plurality of pendent strips adapted tolift-gate pivoted Within said trough, the free end of the said gatebeing supported by the Water Within the trough, as and for the purposeset forth.

6. In a device for Water ways, a trough extending parallel With saidWater Way at one side thereof, one end of the said trough being entirelyclosed, the saidtrough being communicant With said Water way at a pointadjacent the closed end of the former by means of an opening formed inone of the trough sides, a screen member disposed to extend transverselyof the Water Way to direct the fish therein to the said opening, aplurality of pendent strips positioned over the said opening adapted topermit passage of fish from Within the said Water Way into said troughand prevent a repassage of the fish from the said trough into said WaterWay, means for entirely closing said opening, and means including a liftgate pivoted Within said trough and movable by the Water therein, saidlift gate adapted to automatically open and close one end of the saidtrough, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a device for Water Ways, a trough at one side of said water Way,one end of the said trough being permanently closed, one side of thesaid trough having an opening formed therein to communicate the saidtrough With the said Water Way, a screen member extending transverselyof the said Water Way, said screen member being positioned to guide thefish Within the said Water way to the said opening, a plurality ofpendent strips disposed over the said opening, said strips adapted to beremoved by the passage of fish from the said water Way into said troughand to automatically close said opening to prevent repassage of fishfrom said trough into said Water Way, a lift-gate pivoted Within saidtrough, said lift gate being supported to close one end of the saidtrough by the Water Within said trough, and a member pendent from saidgate, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ANDREW A. GASWELL.

Witnesses J ACOB INNIS, EVALYN N. SPARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,'by addressingthe, Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

